MUMBAI: Popular star Sharad Malhotra has cemented his position on TV with shows like “Banoo Main Teri Dulhann”, “Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap” and even forayed in Bollywood, says he wants to expand his horizon as an actor.

At this stage of his career, Sharad, who received stupendous success for his performance in fantasy thriller series “Naagin 5”, says he is keen to explore other mediums of entertainment as an actor.  “I’ve been seeing myself on television for the last 15 years. As an actor, I want to see myself in different mediums. However, my love for television will always be there. It’s my bread and butter. It has given me an identity. People know me because of the small screen,” he states.

“How can I call it a down market or how can I say that it is not as great as compared to cinema?” he asks. At the peak of his career in TV, the actor entered Bollywood with “From Sydney with Love” (2012) and later acted in “Ek Tera Saath” (2016), sadly both the films failed to strike a chord with the audience. “I’m not ashamed of that. I tried and I gave it my best shot. A lot of hard work went into it, but it did not turn out to be as I expected to be,” he admits.
However, the response to both films hasn’t deterred Sharad from trying his luck again in cinema. “…But that doesn’t mean I will quit television. I also want to explore OTT format. But TV will always be my first love,” he says.

Drawing the disparity between films and TV, Sharad says, “Cinema is a different ball game altogether. It’s larger than life, while television is a small little box. We’re trying to sell dreams and make shows which people watch while sitting in the comfort of their homes,” he says.